Individual signaling apparatus



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

J. H. CARY.

INDIVIDUALSIGNALING APPARATUS. No. 278,221. Patented May 22,1883.

N. PETERS, mm-umo n hur. wnhin nm D. c.

(No Model.) I 2 Sheets-Sheet 2. J. H. GARY.

INDIVIDUAL SIGNALING APPARATUS. 7 No. 278,221. 1 Patented May 22,1883.

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N. PElERS. PhukoLMmpupMn wmin m. ac.

. UNITE STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES H. OARY,'OF BOSTON, ASSIGNOR lO HORACE P. TOBEY, ()F WAREHAM, MASSACHUSETTS.

INDIVIDUAL SIGNALING APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 278,221, dated May 22, 1883.

- Application filed October 23, 1882. (No model.)

To all whom it mag concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES H. GARY, of Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain Improvements in Individual Signaling Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to electric signals of that class which are adapted to be used in circuits in any number, known as individual sigrials, and arranged to be operated from a central station in such a manner that the bell in the desired sub-station only of the whole series will be rung, I

My invention involves the employment of the'mechanism shown in Letters Patent of the United States granted to meOctober 10, 1882; and it consists in certain improved devices for bringing all of said instruments in a circuit to unison, when desired, asl will now proceed to describe and claim.

Of the accom an in drawin s formin a u D I a part of this specification, Figure 1 represents a top or plan view of improved signal mechanisms Fig. 2 represents a side view, showing the face of the indicator. Fig. 3 represents a section on line as 50, Fig. 1. Figs. 4:, 5, and 6 represent, respectively, sections on lines 3 y, z z, and z 2, Fig. 1. Fig. 7 represents a front view of a part of the mechanism. Fig. 8 represents an enlarged detail. Figs. 9 and 10 show the circuits through the circuit-controlling mechanism when they are respectively at unison and when the line is broken at one ofthem. I

The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in all the figures. 4

In describing my present improvement I will also describe fully my above-named patented invention to avoid the necessity of reference to said Letters Patent.

In the drawings, A is a base-piece upon which the various parts are arranged.

M is an electro-ma-gnet; B, a neutral armature hung on pivots and kept from the electromagnet by the retractile spring .9. To the armature is attached an upwardly projecting arm, a, to which is pivoted a dog, 0.

e is a horizontal shaft supported by fixed hearings g g.

fis a ratchet secured to shaft 0, arranged to be rotated step by step by means of the dog 0.

l is a ratchet secured to the shaft 0, and havirig its teeth arranged opposite in direction to the teeth of the ratchet f. h is a lever or detent, pivoted at h to a fixed arm or support. One end of the lever h is provided with an inclined slot, h into which projects a pin, a, on the arm a. The opposite end of the lever his caused by said slot and pin to automatically approach and recede from the ratchet I when the arm a is oscillated.

i is a spring contact arranged to bear against the shaft 0. To the shaft 0 is attached a circuit-breaker, 0, which consists of a disk, 2, of metal, having a notch or recess in its periphery, and a spring, 3, arranged to bear on the periphery of the disk, as shown in Fig. 6, excepting when the recess of the disk coincides with the spring, when the contact ceases and the circuit through the instrument is broken. is an indicator card or dial, having marked upon its circumference the numbers of the stations in'the circuit, in addition to which are two spaces, marked, respectively, to indicate central office, and line in use.

The space on the indicator-card, marked 0. 0., is the unison-space of all theinstruments.

p is a pointer attached to the end of the shaft 0, and rotated thereby step by step over the dial 9.

The circuit-breaker disks 2 at each sub-station are fixed upon their shafts c, with their recesses in different positions relatively to their pointers 12, so that the circuit will be broken in only one of the instruments in the series at the same time. When the several instruments in the circuit are at unison, or when all their pointers 1; point to the space 0. 0., on their dials, the circuit through each instrument will be from the line from the central office through the electro-ma-gnet M, by wire 11, therefrom to a spring, 10, forming an elec- 2 rotating so that the contact spring 3 coining end of the lever h is raised from the ratchcides with the opening or notch in the disk, the circuit is changed, it being now from the line in, through electro-magnct M and wire 12 to call-bell B and wire 12, to ground or next sub-station. The course of the electric current is determined by the amount of resistance encountered in the signal apparatus and bell, respectively. When the instruments are all at unison, as per Fig. 8, there is practically no resistance, or very much less in the circuit through the contact-springsSand 10 and shaft 0 and disk 2 than when at some sub-station, when the current is obliged to pass through thebell of said sub-station, which att'ords more resistance. Theret'ere when the signals indicate the corresponding number of a certain sub-station all of the other bells will be silent on account of the current following the line of least resistance, which will be through the. short circuit at'orementioned, instead of through the bells.

In theoperation ot'the mechanism described, suppo e the operator at the central station desires to call sub-station No. 4 in the circuit, he presses a key four times in succession, thereby sending to line four pulsations, each of which causes the armatures at all the substations to be attracted to their respective electro-niagnets M, drawing the dogs 0 with them, thus rotating the ratchetsfand shaft 0, and causing the pointers to rest opposite the space marked 4 on the several dials. cuit-breakers 0 at the several instruments are so arranged that when the pointers stand at 4-, as described, the circuit-breakers at station No. 4 only will break the main-line circuit. The signal-bell at sub-station 4 now added to the main-line circuit, and to ring said bell the central-station operator sends through the again at the termination of the conversation to set the signal at the point C. O. The slot ]L2 of the lever h is so timed relatively to the rotation of the ratehetf that the detain- The cir-v et 1 before the lever c commences to'rotate the ratchetf, and is caused to fall upon the ratchetl and prevent the shaft 6 from rotating more than a single step, thus preventing any further movement, which might ensue from the inertia of the moving parts and bring the pointer 1) to the wrong number or division of the dial. The operation of the apparatus is thus made positive and accurate, and the possibility of accident or incorrect operation is obviated in a great measure.

P represents a polarized armature, pivoted at Q between the poles of the electro-magnet M, and adapted to vibrate between said poles and be held in either of two positions, accordingly as it is attracted to one pole or the other. When attracted to one pole its upper end will stand in the path of a pin, It, on the shaft 0, and arrest said pin'and shaft. The pins R of all the instruments are so arranged that when they are arrested the pointers of the instruments will coincide with the space linein use. It will be seen, therefore, that by sending currents of a given polarity through the electromagnets M the operator at the central station can arrest all the pointers at the same point. The pin R has a beveled surface, It, against which the end of the polarized armature P bears when said armature is in position to arrest the pin 1. The surface R is nearly horizontal transversely, having just suflicient inclination to enable the end of the armature P to pass freely from under the pin withont-frie tion thereon when the pin is to be released,

and being at the same time so nearly l1oriZontal that it will have no tendency to impart a lateral movement to the armature when it strikes the end thereof.

I claim I The shaft 0, having-the pin 1t, with its beveled surface R, arranged as described, combined with the polarized armature P, adapted to bear against the surface It and arrest the pin It, as set forth. I

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification,in the presence of two subscribing witnesses, this ]9th day of October, 1892.

JAMES H. GARY.

Witnesses:

Gno. H. CARY, A L. WHITE. 

